Blue Jays sign right-handed reliever Mike Mayers to a minor league deal

With Opening Day just over a week away, the Toronto Blue Jays have added another reliever into the mix as The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath is reporting the club has signed right-handed pitcher Mike Mayers to a minor league deal with an invite to the big league camp.

A third-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, Mayers has 204 appearances at the Major League level dating back to 2016. Early in his career, the Ohio product bounced between the big leagues in triple-A before breaking out and making 50 relief appearances for the Cardinals in 2018, working to a 4.70 ERA while finishing 15 games. Infamously, Mayers first big league outing was a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who scored nine runs on the rookie pitcher before he was pulled in the second inning.

A shoulder strain limited him to just 16 appearances in 2019 before he joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2020 as a waiver wire claim, putting forth a strong showcase in the relief corps. He finished the condensed season with a 2.10 ERA through 30 innings of work, posting a 12.9 K/9 in the bullpen, and followed that breakout campaign with another strong showing in 2021, amassing a 3.84 ERA through 72 appearances, trailing only veteran Steve Cishek (74) that year for the Angels.

The University of Mississippi alum was unable to replicate that success in 2022 and found a home with the Kansas City Royals to begin last season before being traded to the Chicago White Sox on July 13th. Mayers spent most of last year in triple-A between the two organizations, pitching to a combined 6.12 ERA through 28 outings, 13 of which were starts, to the tune of a 1.613 WHIP, 10.4 H/9, and a 7.4 K/9. In the big leagues, he allowed eight earned runs through 14 1/3 innings of work.

On the mound, the versatile right-hander has a six-pitch mix and relies heavily on his low-90s fastball and his slider, which features 40.7 inches of drop.

The signing of Mayers brings some additional depth to the Blue Jays’ pitching corps, as the veteran arm will likely begin the year in Buffalo and provide some additional stability should the injury bug befall any of the core relief members heading into the season.